Abraco makes good food

This weekend I had to go to Soho to get some shoes fixed. Soho on the weekend is a scary, horrible place to be. The streets are full of shoppers idling about, window shopping, and carrying large bags full of over-priced goods. They walk four or even five people wide on the sidewalk with no care for the people around them. Thus I was dreading my trip there. But I knew that, after I went, I’d be able to go to the friendly little shop owned by Jamie McCormick, Abraço, and relax a bit.

(of course, I didn’t bring my camera, so I’m borrowing some photos from Liz without her permission. Hopefully she won’t mind)

But when I got there, I was afraid I wouldn’t be able to relax at all, given how many people were standing inside. There must have been 20 people in a space that should only comfortably contain, say, 7. It seems the recent New York Magazine article has attracted a few people. But as I stood outside with a petrified look, a nice lady inside opened the door and assured me that most of the people inside had already ordered and would be leaving soon. I breathed a sigh of relief and stepped inside. Once everyone had left, I ordered a macchiatto from Jamie and settled into a corner to watch the action and think about some food.

I know we’ve talked about Abraço a couple of times before, but this time I wanted to mention the food, which is, um, really good. Chef Mario Hernandez makes what’s available that day, and he makes it well. On Saturday when I went to visit, they were offering up a cabbage soup, which would have been vegan, they say, except for the big hunk of bread topped with melted gruyere stuck in the bowl. It worked exceedingly well, and I hope they have it again the next time I’m in. They were also serving fried risotto balls (which Anne and I like to make at home), but had neared the end of their serving day (they stop selling hot food at 3), so there weren’t many left. I decided to pass so others could eat them.

After spending about an hour watching the madness and chatting with Jamie, I left, feeling much better after my journey into Soho. Go to Abraço. You’ll love it.